Not necessarily. I paint walls satin and yes, I use semi-gloss for trim. I love the layer look and the depth of two different whites, just make sure they look good together - a warm white and a cool white might end up looking like an accident. Edited to add: I see you just posted this in "bathrooms." I generally paint bathroom and kitchen in semi-gloss for ease of wiping up spills and splatters.

No, I agree with the above. White trim and white walls don’t have to match.

But it is important that they have enough contrast between them to make choosing two different whites worthwhile . (Otherwise you may as well choose one white in two different sheens. Which is also just fine)

The secret to pairing two white paint colours is to ensure they have at least a minimum difference of 0.2 in Chroma (colourfulness). A little distance in Hue Family location also helps with the contrast.

Here are the key attributes of lots of popular whites. See more at The Land of Color .com

Hue - in which Hue Family they belong.

Value - how light or dark.

Chroma - how colourful or near to neutral. (Lower the Chroma = nearer to neutral)

LRV - how much light does the colour reflect?

Choosing a more neutral white for the trim (lower Chroma) gives you more flexibility in selecting wall colours,,,,,

I had this same question. You are so helpful Marylee H.

ALL the best colour stuff comes courtesy The Land of Color .com

See the Blog for some thought provoking bed time reading! 👍🌈

I am a traditional when it comes to woodwork in a home. It should be the same throughout the house.

That said, why did you choose white walls for your bathroom? Are you going for a clean white look?

I like the all same white look. I am in the process of painting my kitchen walls , trim, and cabinets with BM White Dove . I used eggshell finish for the walls. Trim and cabinets will be semi gloss. Hope to get the trim done today. Not real impressed with BM paint .... Doesn't cover well. I will go back to Pittsburgh Paints for my next room painting project.

Most paint companies have trouble with the coverage of white paint in particular. But Sherwin Williams have a more recent range of High-Hide white paint colours.

@Marylee, would you explain more about SW high-hide white colors? Is it particular colors or paint line? Thank you in advance.

I would be going from Behr Tuscan beige which is a light beige. Do you think there would be a coverage problem going to white with two coats?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FBEHR-1-qt-PWN-62-Tuscan-Beige-Semi-Gloss-Enamel-Urethane-Alkyd-Interior-Exterior-Paint-390004%2F310943945&psig=AOvVaw2s5FONOTanfA28gXu7E1xF&ust=1609339797514000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMjP0I-48-0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

I believe the High Hide White formula is available in the Sherwin Williams Emerald Designer range, which as the name suggests is more expensive!

But as lots of whites can require 3 coats, or a primer plus 2 x top coats, the increased price may be slightly offset by the cost of extra man time & product quantity using the usual suspects.

I would discuss their coverage experience of individual white products with your painter.